Pants protector



Aug 7, 1956 P. BUFIS 2,757,460

PANTS PROTECTOR Filed Dec. 16, 1954 United States Patent PANTS PROTECTOR Paul Bufis, North Bergen, N. J. Application December 16, 1954, Serial No. 475,648 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-2) This invention relates to a trousers protector, formed of a thin, waterproof, plastic material or the like, adapted to be fitted over the lower portion of the trousers leg and the upper of ones shoe, so as to protect the same against the elements.

Among important objects of the invention are to permit manufacture of the protector at relatively low cost; to facilitate the application of the protector as well as the removal of the same; to provide improved protection for the lower portion of the trousers leg and the shoe upper; topermit the adjustable tightening of the protector at its upper end about the trousers leg so as to hold the same in place without accompanying discomfort on the part of the For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a protector formed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the protector.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of protector applied to a shoe.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 5, the shoe being shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a second modification, applied to a shoe.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a shoe-engaging frame embodied in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 7, the dotted lines showing the protector disengaged from the shoe, the shoe being shown in dotted outline.

In Figs. 1-4, the invention has nated 10, and is formed from an gular piece of relatively thin, preferably transparent, waterproof, flexible plastic or the like. The piece of material is designated at 12, and opposite side edges thereof are brought into contacting relation to employ a tubular shape to the protector. Said side edges are permanently stitched together at 14, the stitching being disposed at the front of the protector as shown in Fig. 1 and terminating intermediate the top and bottom of the protector. Above the stitching 14, open, and the opposite side edges are provided with cooperating slide fastener elements 16, whereby to permit the protector to be pulled over ones trousers leg, after been generally desigapproximately rectanthe front of the protector is left 2,757,460 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 which the slide fastener is closed to protectively cover the trousers leg.

The leg-encasing portion 20 of the protector is of tubular formation, and may taper slightly toward its lower end, though in a commercial embodiment it is preferred that said upper portion 20 be of constant diameter. the lower end of the upper portion, the protector is flared forwardly to provide a shoe-upper-covering portion 18 projecting forwardly from the main or body portion 20 of the protector. The bottom edge of the portion 18 is turned upwardly to provide a hem and is stitched at 19 so as to reinforce the same.

The top edge of the protector is straddled by a bind ing 22, stitched in and lower portion of the trousers leg, after which the fastener 16 is closed. The strap 22 is fastened to a selected fastener 26 to tighten the upper portion of the protector about the trousers leg sufficiently to prevent the protector from sliding down upon the trousers leg. Thereafter, the

At the same time, a substantial part of the shoe upper is also protectively enclosed.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a modified form generally designated 10 The upper portion of the protector is identical to that shown in Fig. l and hence is not illustrated. The lower portion 18*, however, in stead of being provided with the shank-strap 28, has

said upper. the shank-strap may tend to strike the ground and become frayed or worn.

cover the same. the portion 13 by extension of a line of stitching 35 through the superposed, folded portions of the tongue.

Extending through the loop is a shoe-engaging clamp 36, formed from a relatively short, wide length of spring metal or plastic material. The portion 386 is formed substantially to an inverted U-shape, and has a slightly upwardly bowed bight portion extending through the loop 34. The opposite ends of the clamp 36 project beyond the opposite ends of the loop 34, and are turned downwardly and then inwardly, with the extremities of the clamp being beveled or sharpened to provide jaws 38. The spring tension of the clamp is such as to cause said defined between the upper and the sole S of the shoe.

In this form of the invention, the protector is pulled over the shoe and trousers leg with the slide fastener open, after which the jaws 38 are spread manually against the spring action of the clamp, and are placed adjacent opposite sides of the upper indicated at U. The jaws are then released, and will engage in the position shown in Fig. 6 to securely grip the shoe.

In the form of Figs. 7-9, the protector 10 is not stitched at the lower end thereof, and instead, the slide fastener 16* is disposed at one side of the protector as shown in Fig. 7, and extends fully from the top tothe bottom of the protector, said slide fastener being completely separable so as to wholly open said side thereof, from top to bottom. Therefore, the protector need not be pulled over the trousers leg and shoe, and ordinarily, will appear when not in use as a generally rectangular member that can be folded compactly.

In this form of the invention, there is again utilized a shoe-engaging clamp rather than a shank strap. The clamp has been shown per se in Fig. 8, and has been designated 36 The clamp is integrally formed from a single piece of spring metal material, and includes a bight portion extendible through the loop 3 of the lower portion 18 of the protector, said lower portion being integrally provided upon the lower end of the legencasing body portion 20 and being permanently formed through the medium of stitching 35* extending transversely of said lower portion 18 In this respect, the loop is identical to that shown in Figs. and 6, and the main or body portion of the clamp is also formed identically to that shown in Fig. 6, having downwardly and inwardly turned, sharpened jaws 38 adapted to engage against opposite sides of the shoe.

However, in the form shown in Figs. 79, the jaws Iii-l are integrally provided, at their back edges, with elongated, rearwardly extending clamp arms 40 the length of which is such as to cause said clarnp arms to terminate at their free, rear ends above the heel H of the shoe. At opposite sides of the foot portion 18 of the protector, depending tongues 42 are integrally formed from the material of said foot portion, and are folded upon themselves and stitched in their folded positions as shown in Fig. 9, to form side loops 42 receiving the intermediate portions of the respective arms 40.

At their free ends, the arms 4-0 are slit transversely for a part of their width, and the slit permits small teeth 44 to be bent inwardly out of the material of the arms 40, said teeth being beveled or sharpened and being adapted to engage in the groove between the upper and sole of the shoe immediately above the heel H.

In use of this form of the invention, the protector, with the slide fastener elements fully separated, is simply wrapped about the trousers leg. The jaws 38 are spread and then-released to engage the same against opposite sides of the upper adjacent the toe of the shoe. The arms 40 are springably flexed outwardly to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 9, and are then released so as to return, due to their inherent resiliency, to the full line positions of Fig. 9, in which full line positions the teeth 44 engage in the shoe upper above the heel. The slide fastener is now closed, and to tighten the upper end of the protector about the trousers leg, there is provided a short strap 46 stitched at one end to the body portion 20 and provided at its other end with a gripper fastener element 47 engageable against a selected one of cooperating gripper fastener elements provided upon said body portion 20 The material of the body portion is folded upon itself as at 48 by its connection of the strap 46 to one of the last-named gripper fastener elements and thus the body portion 20 is tightened about the trousers leg at the upper end of said body portion.

In this form of the invention, it is apparent that there is no shank strap provided, nor is it necessary to pull the protector over the trousers leg. Instead, the trousers leg is amply protected, as is the shoe upper, by a device that is characterized by its ease of application or removal.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A trousers leg and shoe protector comprising a flexible, tubular covering formed to include a leg-encasing body portion and a shoe-overlying bottom portion, means on the body portion to adjustably tighten the same about said leg, and means on the bottom portion to engage the shoe, said last-named means comprising a loop formed upon the bottom portion at the front thereof and extending transversely of the bottom portion with the opposite ends of the loop open, and a clamp of generally inverted U-shape extending through said loop and having jaws projecting out of the opposite ends of the loop, said jaws engaging opposite sides of the shoe.

2. A trousers leg and shoe protector comprising a flexible, tubular covering formed to include a leg-encasing body portion and a shoe-overlying bottom portion, means on the body portion to adjustably tighten the same about said leg, and means on the bottom portion to engage the shoe, said last-named means comprising a loop formed upon the bottom portion at the front thereof and extending transversely of the bottom portion with the opposite ends of the loop open, and a clamp of generally inverted U-shape extending through said loop and having jaws projecting out of the opposite ends of the loop, said jaws engaging opposite sides of the shoe, the jaws at their lower extremities having sharpened portions extended toward one another, said sharpened portions engaging the wall of the groove between the upper and sole of the shoe.

3. A trousers leg and shoe protector comprising a flexible, tubular covering formed to include a leg-encasing body portion and a shoe-overlying bottom portion, means on the body portion to adjustably tighten the same about said leg, and means on the bottom portion to engage the shoe, the bottom portion having a transversely extending, open-ended loop at the front thereof and longitudinally extending, open-ended loops at the opposite sides thereof, said last-named means including a clamp of inverted U-shape extending through the front loop and including jaws projecting beyond the opposite ends of the front loop and adapted to engage opposite sides of the shoe adjacent the toe of the shoe, said last-named means further including a pair of longitudinal arms integral at one end with said jaws and projecting rearwardly from the respective jaws along opposite sides of the shoe, said arms extending through the side loops and at their rear ends engaging against opposite sides of the shoe adjacent the heel thereof.

4. A trousers leg and shoe protector comprising a fiex-' ible, tubular covering formed to include a leg-encasing body portion and a shoe-overlying bottom portion, means on the body portion to adjustably tighten the same about said leg, and means on the bottom portion to engage the shoe, the bottom portion having a transversely extending, open-ended loop at the front thereof and longitudinally extending, open-ended loops at the opposite sides thereof, said last-named means including a spring metal clamp of inverted U-shape extending through the front loop and including jaws projecting beyond the opposite ends of the front loop and engaging under tension opposite sides of the shoe adjacent the toe of the shoe, said last-named means further including a pair of longitudinal arms integral at one end with said jaws and projecting rearwardly from the respective jaws along opposite sides of the shoe, said arms extending through the side loops and at their rear ends engaging under tension against opposite sides of the shoe adjacent the heel thereof, said 5 arms at their rear ends including inwardly struck, sharpened teeth engageable in the shoe upper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 133,870 Hill Sept. 22, 1942 6 Vrabek Apr. 9, 1929 Hodges Dec. 3, 1929 Glowka Mar. 21, 1939 Asch et a1. July 1, 1941 Randall June 24, 1947 Carrozza Sept. 2, 1947 

